If you find yourself caught up in the hustle and bustle of shopping, rushing around, mailing and baking, perhaps you have been missing out on some of the things that make the season so beautiful. Winter, with its cold and dormant state is a background of quietness. To meditate while listening to the old Christmas story is a quiet activity that tends towards repose of mind. It is in the quiet that we most hear the voice of God.
Think of it. The Inn that turned away Joseph and Mary was full to overflowing… a beehive of activity to feed and house everyone. Money exchanged hands, taxpayers complained, likely there were boisterous groups gathered around a table in the courtyard of the place. But it was in the stable in the furthest part of the property that God came. It was to Shepherds quietly grouped around their night time fires that angels appeared in the brightness of heaven. It is to the soul who in the secret place of their heart comes to know the Lord of All, if only they ask Him to come in.
The things of Christmas are best enjoyed one by one in the quietness of spirit and gratefulness of heart. Take a little time out, won’t you? And like this sage advice ( one of my favorites to think about), do likewise:
I’ll go inside and read Christmas chapter from the old book … Without dispute God has now his glory in heavens, there is peace on Earth and I feel no ill will towards anybody.
~F. E. Sillanpää, Finnish writer